Baseball Claims 7-4 Victory at Strong Rock

April 7th, 2015

LOCUST GROVE, Ga. – The FPD varsity baseball team (13-3) saw a four-run lead vanish before scoring three unanswered runs to push its winning streak to two games in a 7-4 victory at Strong Rock Christian on Tuesday night, April 6 in non-region play.

“We got a lead early and then we let it get away from us,” FPD head coach Denny Bryant said. “But our guys stayed in the moment and we battled back to regain the lead and ultimately win the ballgame.”

The Vikings jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after the first inning of action when Austin Cox doubled home Bo Fricks and Gavin Bloodworth to give FPD a 2-0 advantage. Cox then came around to score later in the inning on a Will McCormick single.

“That was a good start,” Bryant said. “We are swinging the bats good right now.”

FPD added a run in the third inning on a Bloodworth single that scored Marshall Lyles to give the Vikings a 4-0 lead.

But Strong Rock and the Patriots answered with four runs in the bottom of the third to even the game at 4-4.

“We got into some trouble in that inning,” Bryant said. “But our guys stayed in the game. Strong Rock has a good team and they showed how they can score a bunch of runs in a hurry.”

Stay in the game, the Vikings did.

FPD responded with two runs in the fourth inning, the first on a Patriot infield error and the second on a Fricks sacrifice fly that plated Kendall Friar.

“That was a big inning for us, obviously,” Bryant said. “We had the wind knocked out of our sails an inning earlier. I’m proud of the guys for how they responded.”

The Vikings added an insurance run in the sixth when Daniel Weaver scored on a passed ball to make it a 7-4 game.

Sam Jones (2-1) picked up the win for the Vikings and Tyler Stubbs notched his first save of the 2015 campaign.

FPD out-hit Strong Rock 8-5 on the night.

“It’s getting down to crunch time for us,” Bryant said. “Tonight’s game shows us that when things don’t quite go our way that we have the ability to respond.”

The Vikings will go for a third straight win on Thursday night, April 9 when traveling across town to take on the Stratford Academy Eagles in the first game between the two schools in nearly five years.

First pitch is slated for 7 p.m. at the Bubber Adams Baseball Complex at Bobby Hendley Field.

The First Presbyterian Day School Department of Athletics strives to build the student athlete both in the playing arena and the classroom while upholding the school’s mission statement to educate and equip students to change the world for God’s glory. For more information, visit www.fpdvikings.com and sign up for up-to-the-minute news and scores by following the Vikings on Twitter at @FPDVikingSports.

BOX SCORE:

FPD 7, STRONG ROCK 4

FPD 301-201-0 — 7-8-2
SRC 004-000-0 — 4-5-3

WP: Sam Jones (2-1). LP: Childree. S: Tyler Stubbs (1).

2B: FPD – Austin Cox.

Game notes: Cox had two RBI for FPD … Marshall Lyles was 2-for-4 for FPD … Daniel Weaver scored two runs for FPD … Jones was 2-for-4 for Strong Rock with one RBI.